Nigeria

Militant group Boko Haram killed between 150 and 2,000 civilians in Baga on 3rd January but Nigerian politicians appear more focused on their election campaigns than on security issues, according to the BBC.

(London) – Women and girls abducted by the Islamist group Boko Haram are forced to marry, convert, and endure physical and psychological abuse, forced labor, and rape in captivity, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The group has abducted more than 500 women and girls since 2009, and intensified abductions since May 2013, when Nigeria imposed a state of emergency in areas where Boko Haram is most active.

In response to the kidnapping by Boko Haram of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria, the world has mobilised around the BringBackOurGirls hashtag, creating an online frenzy and taking to streets and embassies. Among those protesting for the safe return of the schoolgirls have been various friends and partners from around the Women Living Under Muslim Laws network.